The Newcomer
by Aeonstrife
Summary: This story is set after everything is worked out, and it's basically just a new episode sort of thing. Enjoy. And it's FINISHED!!
1. Default Chapter

The Newcomer

Prologue

_10 years ago…_

Falin carried his prize of meat back home through the woods of Kalthrak, in the Ganthrip district. His parents, grandparents, and younger sisters were waiting for him back home, only a mile away. He was fifteen, and he was already a huge figure, taller than most of the boys in town, but even though most people would judge him too big and too awkward on his feet at first glance, he was very agile, and knew more than most people about hunting.

The doe on his shoulders was his best kill yet. He'd killed it without it noticing, so the flesh was very tender. If he'd been noticed, the doe would've bunched its muscles, and then the meat would be tough.

Falin broke into a run as he subconsciously decided that his family would be pleased at his kill, his bow on his back.

When he'd left his small country home, the sounds of his sisters' squeals of delight while his father played with them.

And when he returned, he saw flames. Huge red flames, and the sound of soft crackling. No screams of pain.

Just the sight of his house burning down. And his sisters and father dead on the front lawn. A tear rolled down Falin's cheek. He looked to his right to see the riders galloping away across the grassy plains.

He looked at the flames and something inside him died.

And something else found a place to fester and grow.

* * * * *

Falin remembered the time when he'd lost all he held dear. He was 25 now and he'd had his revenge. Just 15 minutes ago he'd slain the last of the men that had killed his family.

_'Do you know why I'm going to kill you?' he asked the man who lay in his bed._

_The man, Defter, shook his head, a blank look in his eyes._

Falin curled his lip. '10 years ago you murdered my family.'

'I don't remember,' Defter said, his eyes focused on the knife at his throat.

And Defter died without a scream.

Falin felt empty. He expected revenge to be fulfilling, but he was just a murderer. A petty criminal.

Now he was the villain.

Falin walked out of the city, shocked at his thoughts.

He entered the forest around the city, and walked on for miles. And he decided to make camp somewhere, but he couldn't make a fire, as all of the wood he found was wet.

Then he saw the Zane tree, a twisted plant with holes on its bark.

He walked closer to it and saw that it was hollow.

'Perfect,' he thought.

Falin climbed inside the tree and sat down on the soft dry earth. There was a lot of space in the tree, enough to make a comfortable home.

He ran his hand through his soft grey hair, and heard a voice that came from inside the tree.

'And you must be Falin.' Falin surged to his feet and drew his dagger.

The dark tree suddenly lit up and Falin saw an old woman sitting at a table.

'Put away your weapon, child, and sit down.'

Falin did so and pulled up a chair at the table.

'Who are you?' Falin asked the woman. She lifted her head and looked at Falin.

'Guess.' Falin saw the old woman's ears. They were…

Round. And her hair was the strangest colour for hair he'd ever seen. It was black.

'You are Morlfan, the woman of the woods,' Falin said.

'Indeed I am.' Morlfan was someone from legend, who supposedly came from another world. Or not so much another world, another reality, where the technological and biological evolution was different. That would explain the round ears and black hair. She was also said to be a great magicker.

'I have waited for you for a long time,' she said, still looking at Falin. Her face was beautiful, and so unlike anything he'd ever seen. 'I have a favour to ask of you.'

'What is it?' Falin replied, gaping at her face.

'I must ask you to travel to my world and defeat a demon that will surely overcome it without your help. Four people will aid you. They are all like me. One male, three female. The male is an angel of sorts, and the females are all witches. One can halt time, one has telekinetic powers, and the other has limited abilities of being able to see into the future.'

'I will help you,' he said without realizing it.

Morlfan smiled at him. 'I knew you would.'


	2. The Newcomer Chapter 1

The Newcomer

Chapter One

Prue stood on the bridge, looking out over San Francisco through a camera. She was working on a new assignment, in which she had to convey the urban development of San Francisco. She had decided that a view of a busy freeway was the first step.

That was when she saw the man.

Well, he looked like a man, except for his upswept ears and grey hair. He wore something that looked like Robin Hood would wear. And boots that looked like they were stolen from the army. Black combat boots, a sleeveless green jacket, and brown dull leather pants.

And he didn't look too friendly. Especially with a large sword strapped to his back.

But the strangest thing of all was how he got there. He wasn't there, and then he was, walking forward. Then he turned his had and looked directly at her. She couldn't see whether the expression on his face was anger, recognition, or confusion, and she didn't particularly want to find out.

So she started to franticly pack up her camera and tripod, and she leapt in her car and drove home to see if she could find any information on what she'd seen.

* * * * * *

Falin looked confused at the spot where the woman who had just ran off in a hurry had been.

'Don't worry, Falin. This is to be expected,' said the voice of Morlfan. 'You are different. Humans shun difference, and she is scared of you because she doesn't know what to expect. She may think you are her enemy. You see, you can't judge a book by its cover here.'

'Book?'

'Never mind. Here you can't tell a person's personality just by looking at them.' In Falin's world, their hair, and other things could tell a person's personality.

'What a strange place this is,' Falin thought

'Not strange. Just different.'

Falin walked towards the bridge in the distance. He began to notice people avoiding him like he was the plague, and looking at him as if he was a freak of nature. He heard people talking in a strange language, but he was a good judge of emotion, and he believed that they were talking about him.

'That is my original language, English.'

'You must teach me some.'

And she tought him some simple words and phrases, and Falin absentmindedly took them in. He walked up a winding road towards the Halliwell mansion.

Meanwhile, at the Halliwell mansion, Leo listened patiently as Prue told him what had happened. He was confused himself, and had no idea whatsoever as to what the man was. So Leo went and did some research in the libraries of heaven, and Prue consulted the book of shadows. Neither of the other sisters were home, so she set to finding something out alone.

'Hello!!' came Phoebe's constantly cheery voice. Prue awoke quickly and stood from the lounge chair in the attic. She walked over to the attic window, wondering if the demon was there.

She saw him walking towards the house.

Prue ran down to the kitchen where Phoebe was checking the mail.

'What's wrong?' she asked her sister.

'I saw a demon today, or at least I think he was a demon.'

'And…'

'He's here. Now. Walking down the street. In a Robin Hood outfit. With a big, BIG sword on his back.'

'WHAT!'

'You heard me. Where's Piper?'

'She's…'

'Outside?' Prue finished.

Phoebe nodded. Prue ran outside and saw Piper walking up towards the front door, the demon following.

'Piper! Behind you!' Prue screamed as she threw up her hands at Falin. Falin was thrown back, and he twisted in the air and landed on his feet.

'Uh oh…' Phoebe said as Falin began to slowly walk towards them again, calm as ever.

Piper threw up her hands and Falin froze. Then moved. Then froze. And finally, resumed his slow walk.

'What are we going to do!' whimpered Piper as she backed towards the door.

'I honestly don't know,' Prue replied as she tried hopelessly again and again to throw Falin back. They backed into the door and closed it, arming themselves with whatever they could find. 2 knives and a rolling pin.

Falin reached the door and looked in the window of the door. He rang the doorbell. Then in a very thick accent, he said 'Hello?'

The three sisters looked at each other in utter confusion. He was about a foot taller than any of the sisters, and he obviously was strong enough to break down the door.

'I don't think he'll do any harm,' said Phoebe.

'And why is that?' questioned Prue.

'He hasn't yet made an attempt to harm any of us. _And he rung the doorbell_,' she replied as she lowered the rolling pin and walked towards the door.

'Pheebs…wait,' Prue said. But Phoebe had opened the door by then, and had let Falin into the house.

'Thank you, Phoebe,' Falin stuttered out in his still thick accent.

'That's alright,' she replied, looking up at the smiling giant.

Falin looked at Piper. 'Any you…Piper? And…Prue.' The two nodded, mouths gaping at the massive man.

'How tall would you say he is?' Prue whispered to Piper.

'He'd beat 6 feet easily. I'd say 6 feet 6.'

Falin returned his gaze to Phoebe.

'She is beautiful beyond belief,' he thought. 'I am Falin. I come to help with demons.'

'See! I told you he's not bad!' Phoebe said.

'My…English…not good.'

'How long have you been here?' Piper asked.

Morlfan gave the answer. '4 hours.'

'You're a fast learner,' Piper replied.

'I think so.'

Then Leo appeared in a flash of blue light. Falin turned to him and growled, reaching for his sword.

'Glock na teriblath,' Leo said. The sisters looked at him in confusion. Falin calmed immediately. He replied in his own language. And they struck up a conversation.

Piper tapped Leo on the shoulder. 'Excuse me? You can speak his language?'

'Yeah, a bit, not much, but enough.'

'Sooo, what's going to happen with him, as in where's he going to sleep,' Prue asked.

'He's staying here. Apparently your ancestor from about 1300 years ago said so.'

'And how do you know he's telling the truth?'

'His kind never lie.'

'Oh, come on, he's harmless,' Phoebe said. 'Besides, he's cute,' she said sneakily.

'Fine, he can stay, but we have to teach him how to speak English,' Prue said.

'Easy. But we also have to teach him some things about this world,' Leo replied. 'He's from another plane of reality.'

'A what?' Piper said.

'A plane of reality. Another place not accessible by normal people, where the biological and technological evolutions are different.'

'Perfect. Just perfect.'

'You've done well, Falin,' Morlfan said in his head as he gazed down into Phoebe's eyes.


	3. The Newcomer Chapter 2

The Newcomer

Chapter 2

Falin swung his sword in giant graceful arcs as he practiced his swordplay in the attic.

His english had improved dramatically. Leo was a great teacher, and he sometimes conversed with the sisters often, and with Morlfan making him revise his english daily, his command of both his own language and the one he'd just been introduced to.

He suddenly broke into a fast and furious attack on an invisible enemy, blocking, attacking and spinning and dodging the invisible blade. His slim tall and muscular body leapt through the air like a falcon in flight; graceful, swift and deadly.

He finally slowed to a halt, brought his legs together and put the flat of his blade to his nose. His concentration was broken by a whispered 'wow' from the door. Irritated, he opened a solitary eye and looked towards where the sound came from. He saw Phoebe, Piper and Prue standing there. He closed his eye again. 'Let's give them a show to enjoy,' he thought, as he slowly bent his knees and moonsaulted backwards, coming to face the wall that was behind him. He slashed seemingly wildly, but halted and reversed the cut. He then proceeded faster and faster until the sisters at the door could no longer see him. But he was still there. It was a type of magic from his world, requiring great patience and luck to learn, as some things would spark the flame, and others would douse a weak flame.

He was behind them. And they still wondered where he'd gone. He walked up to the door and shouted at them, '_STILL WONDERING WHERE I AM?'_ They jumped literally feet into the air.

'Christ! Where'd you come from?' Piper shouted. Falin just tapped his nose.

'No, seriously, what happened?' asked Prue anxiously.

'It's my type of magic,' Falin said as he shrugged.

'What do you mean?'

'You have magic with…rituals…in it. My magic is just simple tricks with light and warmth.'

'Anyway…' Phoebe said, 'we want to get you some clothes so you can go out into the real world, instead of just staying here all day.'

Falin smiled at that. 'Great, when can we go?'

'Well, now, if you want.'

'Let me just get some food, and we can go.'

After Falin had been shown what breakfast is (a bowl of cereal as oppose to the flowers in the garden or the leftover chicken drumstick), they set out to the metro.

First stop: The Gap.

Clothes shops were new things to Falin. In his reality there were only tailors.

'How do they know the different sizes for each person who comes in to buy something?' he asked Phoebe.

'They don't,' she replied. She explained to him about sizes and factories and everything else.

Falin raised an eyebrow. 'This really _is_ a strange place.'

'Not strange,' he reminded himself. 'Just different.'

After buying lots of clothes for Falin, he walked out and saw across the road a scruffy-looking middle-aged man pushing his belongings along in a trolley. Falin stared at him.

'What're you looking at Falin?' Prue asked him. He pointed at the tramp.

'He doesn't have enough money to feed himself and clothe himself like we do. It just reminds me how lucky we are,' she said.

'Could I borrow one of those bills you paid the woman in the shop with?' he asked her.

Prue handed a 20-dollar note to Falin and he wrapped his hand around it. He gave it back to Prue, and ran across the street to him.

'Hey mate,' said the tramp. 'Could you spare us some money?'

Falin pushed something into his hand. 'Don't waste it,' Falin said before rushing back across the street to the sisters.

They frowned in puzzlement at him as he began to walk calmly away.

'Coming?' he said to them. As they walked away the tramp across the road shouted to them, 'thank you, thank you very much. God bless you!'

'What exactly did you give him,' Prue asked Falin.

'Oh, just some money.'

'How much money, exactly?'

'20 of those bills you gave me,' he replied non-chalantly.

'What!' Prue began, but Falin just said 'where to next?' and walked on as if she'd never said a word.

* * * * * *

Falin sat on a sofa, watching the television with great interest. He'd learnt quite a bit about the world from the news. So far he'd learnt about different animals unique to this reality, as well as certain aspects about the Middle East conflict. He was watching a documentary on tigers when Phoebe walked over and sat next to him.

'Watcha watching?' she asked him.

'A television show on _Panthera tigris._'

'The tiger, you mean?'

'Yes, or that. Whichever you prefer,' Falin said sadly as a tear rolled down his cheek.

Phoebe looked worried. 'What's wrong,' she asked him.

'That humans can kill these creatures of beauty without remorse, and they know that if they don't stop, they will make them extinct.'

'I don't know…people do it for money, I guess. My knowledge about them isn't as vast as many others'.' She reached for the remote and switched off the TV.

'Strange people, these are. Not different, just strange,' he thought.

'Do you have music where you come from?' Phoebe asked.

'Music?'

'Stuff you listen to. For fun,' Phoebe said, trying to think of a definition for music.

'I…I don't think so,' said Falin. Phoebe stood up and walked to the CD player, putting on some music.

Falin jolted upright. 'What's that?!' he said anxiously.

Phoebe giggled at his fear. 'It's music, silly.'

'Interesting…it sounds like, like, different sounds with mixed pitches, played together to create different sounds in themselves,' Falin said.

'Now that's a definition,' Phoebe said.

'This is very pleasant.'

'Can you dance?'

'Even if I knew what…dancing…is, I doubt I could.'

'Then I'll teach you,' Phoebe said as she took Falin by the hand and put his hands into position around her.

'Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot,' she chanted and Falin followed.

Falin was a fast learner, and before long, he had the gist.

'Tonight, we're going to a club, where everyone dances and socializes and so on,' Phoebe told him.

'If I like this dancing as much with someone else as I do with you, I'll be very happy.'

Phoebe laughed at that.


	4. The Newcomer Chapter 3

The Newcomer

Chapter 3

Falin walked down the stairs leading into the main room of p³, wishing he had his sword in a crowd with so many people. Prue had insisted that he dye his hair and 'trim' his ears, the dye with real dye, the ears with illusion.

'I'm nervous. Very nervous,' he whispered to Phoebe.

'Relax,' she answered simply. He felt like a dork knowing his hair was _brown_, of all colours.

Phoebe ordered a drink at the bar for Falin (who was told to say it meant the wise one in some obscure Polynesian dialect). He liked the taste of it, and because of the fact that he was a bit angry that the bottle was empty when it was, he realized it was a strange dilute form of alcohol. 

Phoebe then remembered that he shouldn't dance the way she taught him here. So she told him about the dancing and socializing etiquette. Piper was out dancing with Leo, who had a holiday of sorts, and Prue was flirting with a tall dark handsome stranger who had graduated from Harvard.

Falin had lost his accent and was talking to Phoebe about tigers when she spotted a girl eyeing off Falin.

'That girl over there fancies you, I think,' she said.

He turned around and she quickly averted her gaze, but not fast enough, Falin noticed her.

'Go on, ask her to dance,' Phoebe urged.

'If you insist,' Falin mumbled and he stood and walked over to the blonde who had averted her gaze. And she had nearly fallen off her chair when he asked her to dance. So they moved to the dance floor and, as you usually do, they started to dance and talk.

Falin began to tire so he bought them each a beer, which she accepted, and they began to dance again. Her name was Denise, and was, of all things, a zoologist. They talked about animals, mainly tigers, due to Falin's growing interest in them and he found out quite a bit about them.

Prue was having a great time with Blake the guy from Harvard, and he also turned out to be a photographer.

Piper was still dancing with Leo; Leo hoping that this holiday wouldn't be interrupted, and a guy was chatting up Phoebe whom she used to have a crush on in high school.

'This is a favourite of mine,' said Denise as guitar introduction began.

'What is it?' Falin asked her.

'Iris, by the Goo Goo Dolls,' she said. 'Have you heard of it? It's fairly recent,' she added, seeing the blank look on his face.

'No. I'm not exactly…with the times,' he replied, trying desperately to cover his extreme ignorance.

She said nothing.

Halfway through the song, Falin felt something twitch in his brain. Something that…

Falin jumped to his side as the creature fell from the ceiling. It stood where it had landed and rose and fell with heavy breaths. It looked like some kind of a humanoid lizard, hunched, green and scaly. Its four claws were as long as its hand. The lizard looked around, and Falin knew who it was looking for.

The charmed ones.

Falin tackled it full in the chest and with his enormous strength went flying into a nearby wall, almost shattering the brick. The lizard kicked Falin off it, and Falin fell back, rolling over to the bar. He grabbed a discarded beer bottle by the neck and shattered it on the table, making a makeshift dagger. By this time, people were running out in a state of panic, Phoebe trying to calm them down, and Prue trying to get away from Blake, and Piper still reacting to what had just happened.

Falin took up a fencing position, the bottle in hand, and feinted the bottle left and right, not moving his feet. Finally he striked and the demon palmed the attack away and counter-attacked. Falin tilted his head just in time, as the long black claws snaked out beside Falin's ear.

Piper put up her hands and the fight ended, the Lizard stopping.

'What the hell was that?' Piper exclaimed. Leo looked at the frozen body and rubbed his chin.

'I have no idea. It could be anything. Many demons use reptiles as their minions.'

'Great, so this was helpful,' Phoebe groaned.

'Well, perhaps you could cast a search spell, or something,' Falin suggested.

'Good thinking,' said Prue. 'I'll get home and look at the book of shadows for something. Falin, you…'

Prue was cut short by the crashing of Falin's body to the ground, the moving Lizard upon him. Phoebe was there, and kicked it full in the face. The lizard, stunned by the blow, was thrown off Falin. Falin got up and put his hands up, ready to fight the demon hand-to-hand. The lizard attacked downwards, and blocked the attack with his forearm. He span and sent the broken bottle, still in his hand, into the lizard's unprotected belly. Instead of bleeding, like Falin was used to, the Lizard just disappeared.

'There goes the search spell,' Falin said.

'What are we going to say to the crowds?' Prue said anxiously.

'I have an idea,' Falin said as he ran up the stairs to the crowd outside.

'Fear not,' he shouted to the waiting crowd outside. 'I am a master magician and illusionist, as I shall demonstrate!'

'And with that, he produced a dove in his hand, which flew off into the night sky and disappeared when it was out of sight.

Much to Leo, Falin, Piper, and Prue's relief, the crowd bought it, and everyone left, satisfied with the excuse. Piper was seething at Falin when she realized the damage caused to the wall the lizard and Falin had bashed into, but she kept quiet (Falin had, after all, saved their lives).

Everything was fine. The only injury was a small scratch on Falin's shoulder that Prue noticed, but she said nothing. Little did they know that this small scratch would be the cause of all their problems.

* * * * * * * *

Falin sat at the table in the kitchen, with a hangover from hell, a glass of milk in hand.

Phoebe walked in, said hello, saw the massive open wound on Falin's right shoulder, and nearly puked. Falin didn't notice, until she tapped him on the other shoulder. When he saw the wound his eyes widened, and he woke up very quickly.

Leo was immediately reading up on the lizard demon, Prue and Piper were checking the book of shadows for some kind of remedy for the wound, and Phoebe was with Falin, keeping the bandages clean. To stop her from feeling wheezy when she changed the bandage, he used an illusion.

But the wound still kept fresh and a scab didn't appear. He couldn't go to a doctor, as his body was very different to a human's internally. 

But Falin kept getting weaker and weaker, the wound now spreading over most of his arm and under his neck, like a half made human.

Leo returned with some bad news.

At the rate of his decline, he would die in three days…


	5. The Newcomer Chapter 4

The Newcomer

Chapter 4

The sore was now covering the majority of his body. And they were helpless to stop it.

Leo was still tirelessly reading books on medical treatment, and the book of shadows was no help at all.

So the sisters cried for their friend whose life was hanging by a thread.

Falin was dreaming. In his painful sleep he dreamt of many things. He dreamt of being a fierce tiger, hunting without mercy, yet caring for his young with tenderness and passion.

He'd come back hunting a deer to find his mate dead and his cubs missing.

And he slowly awoke.

'Falin! Are you there!' said Phoebe anxiously. He saw her, smiled, and fell back into slumber. Phoebe lay her head on the sheet over his chest and cried.

'Falin! Don't give up!' Falin heard the faint voice of Morlfan. 'Listen to me! The scab is not growing because of normal means! Maggots are eating away at it, and they can only be seen through a special lense. This lense is the lense of Carthite. It can see things that the naked eye cannot. The maggots are demons in themselves. Get Leo to find it.'

Falin awoke slowly again. Phoebe again talked to him. But he didn't fall asleep. He instead told her to get Leo.

He told Leo about the lense, and the maggots. Leo understood, and immediately got to work on it. Prue and Piper tore themselves away from him and looked in the book of shadows.

The book of shadows told them that Carthite was a demon of huge power and was locked away in a special prison. In the battle beforehand, Carthite lost an eye, and it was made into a lense to see the problem with certain demonic wounds.

The lense was with a head doctor in heaven. Leo found him, and brought the lense to Falin with a needle made out of ganthrite, a metallic compound used in the treatment of demonic wounds.

Leo reached Falin and looked through the lense, to see hundreds of huge, black maggots crawling over the wound. One by one, with a sick feeling in his stomach, he speared the maggots with the metal needle, and dropped them into a fire.

'So that's that? He's cured?' Phoebe asked anxiously.

'I guess so. But I only got the full-grown maggots. There may be thousands of microscopic eggs waiting to hatch. Keep looking through the lense onto the wound, and spear any more maggots with the needle. The wound will heal faster than normal, as these people have very high constitutions,' Leo explained.

'Well, it's a start,' Prue mumbled.

Leo was right. He did heal quickly. Although the maggot death count increased, the wound healed well, and surprisingly, no scar was left, although he was very weak.

He rested in the attic, and he dreamed of being a tiger; fast, deadly and cunning.

* * * *

Piper was shaken awake to see a masked man cover his hand over her mouth and mutter two words.

'Demon Killer.'

She didn't know what he was talking about, so she shrugged and shook her head.

'The one you call Falin.'

'In the attic,' said her muffled voice.

She sat up and ran to wake Prue, then Phoebe. The three ran up to the attic to see…nothing. No one was there. The masked man dropped down behind them.

'Ahhh, Piper. You know lying is bad for you,' he said slyly. He advanced on the three.

'Piper,' Prue said out of the corner of her mouth. 'Now would be a good time!'

'That's exactly what I'm thinking. It's not working!' Piper mumbled back.

Falin materialized behind the masked man and sent a cut downwards, aiming for the enemy's neck. He dodged and Falin turned to meet him. His vision was blurry.

'Ah, yes. Just who I was looking for,' said the figure as Falin groggily swayed.

'Then come and get me, you genderless donkey,' mumbled Falin.

'I said I _was _looking for you. Not anymore. I want one of these valuptuous women standing before me and at random I choose…eh, what do you know. I choose Phoebe.'

And they disappeared.

* * * *

Pure rage filled Falin as he screamed out Phoebe's name through tears. For the two sisters it was one tragedy after another.

Leo appeared. 'I know what happened, and I have some more bad news. Heaven is being directly assaulted. Phoebe has been brought here. This isn't really me, this is just a message, but with this message I will bring a portal to heaven. Please save us. You are our only hope.' Leo disappeared.

'I'm off,' Falin said, still groggy. 'This is a chance to save Phoebe, but it will be very dangerous.'

'I'm going,' said Prue.

'I will too,' said Piper.

They dived into the portal. On the other side, Piper recognized heaven, but the main difference was that now it was burning.

Falin's weakness had left him. He felt replenished. He drew his sword and ran through the gates into heaven.

The fights against the lizards were easy now that he had his sword, but he still made sure that the lizards scratched no one.

They came to a three-way intersection. Leo was there, nursing a wound in his chest.

'Leo!' Piper cried as she ran over to him. Leo looked up at her and smiled. 'Are you alright!' she asked him as she tended to his wounds.

'I'll live. It looks worse than it really is,' Leo said, the lie rolling off his tongue easily.

'What happened!'

'A…a lizard…attacked me…its just a flesh wound,' Leo lied. His breathing was shallow, and his heartbeat was erratic. He was dying.

'Falin…Prue…Piper…they mustn't destroy the…the white-lighter crystal…' and his shallow breathing ceased altogether. And Piper buried her face in his shirt and cried.

'Prue, stay here with Piper. If I'm not back within an hour, assume that I'm dead, and leave,' Falin said. Prue nodded, too tired to argue.

Falin raced off, looking for the one he lost.

Phoebe felt Leo's death, although she didn't know what it was. An immense sadness, as if she had just realized that she would always be alone. All of her senses were active, but she couldn't move.

She had strange dreams. She was lying on the ground, soft grassy ground, bleeding, dying, and a man walked up to her and knelt down beside her. He was bathed in light, and he lay his hands on her stomach…

And that was when she usually woke up. She didn't know what it meant, whether it was a dream or just her 'ability' working.

She waited for someone to come and rescue her. She could see Carthite, the demon, walking about in swirling cloaks of light blue smoke, black steam rising from the empty eye socket.

Falin cut his blade through the lizard, and it fell to the ground. Falin saw the monolithic castle not far away, and he felt something coming from there.

Phoebe.

Only death could stop him now.

And death won't touch me, he told himself.

He ran towards the castle, wondering about the source of this destruction. He slowly fought his way up to the top of the castle, letting nothing survive. His rage built as he finally reached the top of the castle.

'So you've come,' said a slurring voice, deep and majestic.

'Phoebe!' Falin yelled as he saw the blue stasis prism. 'Who are you!'

'You should be thankful. My loss was your gain…'

'The hell?'

'I am Carthrite. I will be your death. '

'Yeah, maybe if stop being a wuss you will kill me.'

Phoebe saw the man, her saviour standing there, being a smart-ass to the most powerful lesser demon there is.

'Cocky aren't we. Well, I'll have to change that.'

Carthite appeared out of thin air as a tall lean man, perfectly proportioned, and much shorter than Falin. Falin made the first move. He slashed downwards, Carthite parried and reversed a cut to Falin's belly, but he leapt out of the way in time.

'Mph. Better than I thought. Let's play.'

'Have a go, dick.'

Carthite just smiled. His rapier began to glow and burst into flames. He slashed at Falin, who flipped back. Carthite slashed at Falin, even though he was far out of his reach. Flames lanced from the blade and Falin rolled to his left. In response, Falin began a warm spell, but held it back until he could no longer. White flames leapt from Falin's fingertips, slamming into Carthite. Carthite exploded with a bowel-emptying cry.

Phoebe dropped from her prism. She ran into Falin's arms, and they embraced.

'Not time to celebrate yet,' came Carthite's voice. He stepped from the shadows as the floating torso in a swirling blue cloak. Blue thunder flashed from his fingertips and Falin threw Phoebe out of the way. The bolt struck Falin and he crashed through the wall, just grabbing onto the ledge, swinging above a fall to certain death.

'Gee, I hardly put anything into that. I expected more of a challenge. Oh well…'

Phoebe kicked Carthrite in the back, pushing him out the window, and he just kept floating there.

'Silly, silly, silly girl. I might've let you live. Your choice.'

Falin threw his sword, still in his hand, into Carthite. Carthite exploded.

'Noooo! After so long! Millennia and millennia of growing power! I…'

And Carthite exploded.

'He wasn't all _that _hard, really,' said Falin after pulling himself up onto safer ground.

'I guess he wasn't,' Phoebe giggled, and they walked back to where Piper and Prue were waiting with Leo…


	6. The Newcomer Chapter 5

The Newcomer

Chapter 5

Leo was alive.

Falin stared at him, dumbfounded.

'H…how?'

'C'mon Falin. I've already died once. Where am I going to go? Detroit?'

'Detroit?'

'Never mind. Hey, how did you go with Carthite?'

Falin smiled at him. 'He's gone. Forever.'

Leo just shook his head. 'Only someone from this world can kill him. You just knocked him unconscious, as a way of putting it.'

'You mean…' Phoebe started.

'He's not dead. He'll be back, and maybe sooner than you know it.' Falin ran his hand through his hair, shaking.

'We'd better get ready then.'

Piper sprinted at the tackle bag and ducked, rolled, and pushed off onto the bag, her feet slamming into it. She fell onto the ground awkwardly.

'Try to use the bag as another vault, and bend your legs to absorb your weight,' Falin suggested.

She did so, but she slipped from the bag. Falin demonstrated. He sprinted up and corkscrewed into the bag feet first. He flipped off the bag onto the floor.

'Simple. Now you try.'

After much trial, she finally got the trick. Then Prue, who had an advantage due to her powers. And Phoebe next, who was the best of them all. She succeeded first time.

After a few other exercises, it was late evening. Prue was fast asleep, as was Piper. But Phoebe couldn't sleep.

She felt guilty for some reason. But why…

That was it. She hadn't thanked Falin. She decided to thank him in the morning.

And an hour later she was still awake. 'Bugger,' she thought. 'Oh…blow it. I'll go apologize now.'

She crept up to the attic and found Falin sitting hunched on the side of his bed.

'Hi…' she whispered to him. He nodded in recognition. She sat on the bed next to him, and they sat in awkward silence. They both began to talk at the same time, and they stopped apologized, laughed, and Phoebe told Falin to go first.

'I just wanted to thank you for saving me from that demon,' he whispered.

'And I just wanted to thank you for saving my life,' Phoebe said in turn.

'I guess we're even now.' Falin looked back down at the floor, a sorrowful look in his eyes.

'What's wrong?' Phoebe asked.

'Just thinking of the past,' Falin replied.

'What about it?'

'Something that happened a long time……you don't need to know.'

'Tell me.'

Falin sighed. '10 years ago, my family was killed by a gang of bandits. I was out at the time, so I was unharmed. I spent much of the last 10 years hunting them down…just to find out that they had forgotten all about the incident. I felt empty…I felt…'

And he broke down and cried. Phoebe put her arms around him and comforted him. He looked at her, a longing look in his eyes. And she kissed him. They fell back onto the bed, stroking each other, kissing, touching.

They spent the night together.

Morning came.

Falin gazed onto the beautiful girl lying beside him. He stroked her hair from her face and she slowly awoke.

'Good morning, Phoebe,' said Falin.

'Good morning. Sleep well?'

'Best sleep I have had for a long time,' Falin said, his eyes warm.

Phoebe smiled and kissed him. She swung her feet out of bed and dressed herself before going downstairs.

Falin was in awe. He could never have guessed that the pleasures of the flesh were so…fulfilling.

He dressed himself and began to meditate. The events of last night played over in his head. He felt wonderful.

Whereas Phoebe felt awful. It wasn't long ago that she'd had a one-night stand with Belthazar. She felt sullied. She felt like a slut.

It was at that moment that Falin came down and planted a kiss on her cheek.

That was when she snapped.

Prue listened as Phoebe told her of what happened.

'I don't know what you're worried about. He's a nice bloke. A little weird, but still nice. And you said yourself he's cute.'

'But that's not the point! Two one night stands in, what, two weeks!'

Prue shrugged. 'Who says it was a one-night stand? This could turn into a wonderful relationship.'

'I guess you're right,' said Phoebe. But she still didn't feel right. Not at all. She couldn't apologize to Falin.

Piper grabbed the mail. There was a letter for Falin.

A letter was inside it. The letter was from Carthite.

'Hello Hero, how's Phoebe,' Falin said, reading out the letter. 'Just a word of warning. Tomorrow you will awake in a forest. You will fight me. The sisters will be there as well. They will fight my minions. They will be armed as you wish.'

Falin crumbled up the letter. It burst into flames in his hands.

'Go to the attic. Arm yourselves with spells, and weapons you find. I will train you. And we'll beat the shit out this arsehole.'

That night, Falin lay on his bed, wondering what he was thinking when he'd made love to Phoebe.

He felt bittersweet.

He couldn't sleep.

Nobody could.

The four felt the icy fingers of death looming above them.

As promised, they awoke on soft grassy earth. They were all armed, and wearing light fighting outfits. 

'Good luck,' Falin said as he ran off to meet his opponent. The three sisters ran off in different directions.

Prue was the first to find her rival.

She procured a small axe. The pair circled. Prue threw the lizard back with her powers. The lizard hit a tree and fell, slightly weaker.

Prue, unsure of what to do, charged with the axe. She leapt high above the lizard and came crashing down upon it with the axe. The blade cut deep into its arm. It let out a piercing shriek, and fell back. She threw the axe at the retreating lizard. It cleaved into its spine.

'One down, three to go,' she said.

Piper was at a larger disadvantage. She had no powers, and was fighting a bowman. Her strategy was simple. Get to close range.

In practice, not so simple. He was a sharpshooter. He fired fast, furiously and very accurately.

She had a short sword and a legionnaire shield.

And she didn't know where he was. She peered from the tree and saw him. He was up a tree. Using her shield as cover she ran towards him and looked for a path up to the tree.

There wasn't one.

She had one option. To throw her sword at him. She had one chance at this. Two if she was lucky.

She aimed, throwing spear style, flinching away from the arrows pelting at her shield.

The blade soared through the air…

And clattered against the tree.

She cursed. Piper had lost her sole weapon. She was out of luck.

Except for the pebbles at her feet.

The first one hit, and the archer fell to the floor of the forest. Piper was immediately upon him, crushing him with her shield.


	7. The Newcomer Chapter 6

The Newcomer

Chapter 6

Phoebe was in a state of panic. No one was there. But she felt as if she was being hunted. She didn't know by what, but she occasionally heard a snap of a twig behind her. She never saw her foe. She just ran.

Falin, meanwhile, had his bow strung and taut, aimed at Carthite's back. He fired the arrow and Carthite span, grabbing the arrow and throwing a blue ball of energy at Falin. Falin rolled out of the way as the ball of energy cut through the undergrowth.

'Ah, Falin. I have eyes in the back of my head. I can see everything.'

'What is the point of me fighting you Carthite? I can't vanquish you.'

Carthite shrugged. 'So?'

'You want to fight me right?' Carthite nodded slowly. 'If I defeat you, you must promise to not come back. Ever.'

'Fine, I promise. Let's fight.'

Falin drew his sword and leapt from the undergrowth to engage Carthite, who'd transformed into a massive dragon. A fireball came from the dragon's mouth at Falin. He erected a heat shield and the fireball was absorbed by it. Falin began to climb the dragon's flank, trying to avoid the thick tail that lashed about, trying to dislodge him. Falin reached the long hump on the dragon's back, which was its spine. He slowly slid his way up the scaly back.

The dragon reached behind itself and plucked Falin off it, and flung him to the ground.

Falin felt the air rush from his chest as he hit the ground. He turned himself on his back and began to breathe deeply. A scaled limb rose above him, and fell towards him. He raised the blade of his sword and impaled the foot on it. The dragon roared in pain, and lifted its foot away from Falin, who rolled away onto his feet.

The dragon shrank into a fairly muscular armoured foe. A huge sword was in its right hand. It was at least 12 feet tall, and was very muscular.

Falin dodged a slash from the massive blade. A flame exploded from Falin's right hand and it smashed into Carthite. His foot went back to steady himself, and Falin was upon him.

Carthite was tremendously strong, but couldn't catch Falin in this form.

So he changed into his normal form.

Which was also his most powerful.

Falin ran to engage him, and Carthite defended. Carthite used a sword forged seemingly out of his own body.

Falin sustained the first injury. Pain flared across his boy as the blue blade cleaved into his arm. Carthite reversed the cut. He span and Falin blocked the cut with his sword in his left hand.

Falin fell back and rolled to a kneeling position. White flames burst from his hand and smashed into Carthite. The explosion threw Falin back. Carthite absorbed the spell. He began to laugh.

'Is that all you've got?'

Falin couldn't answer. It was the most powerful spell he had. And he'd put all he had into it.

He couldn't possibly defeat him in hand to hand combat. Carthite was so fast, and Falin's right arm was badly injured, both from the cut and the explosion crushing it against an oak.

'What's the matter, little boy? Did you hurt yourself?' Carthite said mockingly. 'Well I'll stop the hurt. I'll stop the pain. I'll stop it forever…'

Phoebe suddenly ran out into the clearing. She saw Carthite and screamed.

'Phoebe…' Falin groaned as Carthite shot a ball of energy at her. It slammed into her, throwing her against a tree.

Falin felt the bolt as well. The pain was tremendous. His rage began to build.

A lizard walked out from where Phoebe had just ten seconds ago.

'You blunderer! I did it myself!' The lizard exploded.

'Now, Falin. I have something to tell you, before I forget '-Carthite's mouth turned into a cruel smile-' riders didn't kill your parents. I did.'

Falin shook his head, trying to deny the thought that he was a murderer. He had a gut feeling that Carthite wasn't lying.

He saw Phoebe lying there. Then he saw his sisters playing. They were so happy…

He slowly rose, ignoring the pain in his arm.

'I…will…kill…you. _I will!!_'

With a scream of bloodlust, Falin attacked. He held his sword in his injured arm, and he slashed at Cathite, the scream of death flying from his throat, like a bat out of hell.

Carthite struggled to defend, his blue blade randomly lancing out to deflect the wild furious cuts.

Falin span on his heel and cut through the brittle bone that was Carthite's shoulder.

Carthite fell to the ground. He wasn't dead, but his breathing was shallow.

'So…Falin…you _have _beaten me…'

'Carthite, was…what you said…really true? Am I a murderer?'

Carthite chuckled. 'You elves are so strange…'

'Am I?'

'No. I said it to make you angry. It's a useful weapon, but I guess you used the rage against me.'

'I guess so…'

Carthite held out a hand. 'I'm glad to have been beaten by you.' 

Falin shook it. And Carthite turned to dust.

Falin remembered Phoebe. His arm was bleeding freely. So was her belly.

'Falin…she will die without help soon,' Morlfan said.

'Hell, I know that!'

Then Falin remembered the spell. It was simple. It removes a part of the caster's strength and gives it to a target.

But if Falin were to fully heal Phoebe, he would die himself.

He slowly walked over to Phoebe.

She knew she was dying. Then she saw the man move into view. He was holding his right arm in his left. He was bathed in light, and she couldn't see his face. But she knew who he was…

'Falin…'

'Goodbye, Phoebe,' Falin said as he kissed her on her forehead.

He placed his hand where he'd kissed her. He concentrated. He felt himself slip from consciousness. 

And Phoebe felt herself grow stronger. She sat up. She looked around, and saw Falin lying there, his face pale.

'Oh Falin…why? Why did you do it?' Phoebe cried and cradled Falin in her arms.

'Because I love you.' Phoebe looked up and saw a ghost. His hair was grey, and his ears were upswept. He smiled sadly, and turned away. He walked and disappeared.

'I love you too, Falin. It took me a while, but now I know.'

Prue and Piper walked into the clearing together and saw their sister cradling the lifeless body.

In a flash, they were back in the Halliwell manor. Falin was gone.

And Phoebe wept for the man who saved her life.


	8. The Newcomer epilogue

The Newcomer

Epilogue

Falin walked through the streets of heaven.

He had just arrived, and already people began to recognize him. He was looking for god.

Well, he was told to look for him. He told the man there that he wasn't exactly from this area. He seemed to know what he was talking about.

He met Leo. He directed Falin to the castle where he'd fought Carthite not all that long ago.

It brought back many memories.

He slowly walked up the castle's many staircases. People began to look at him in awe.

Now about _that_ he was clueless.

He reached the top of the magnificent castle. There was a huge throne. Sitting in it was a wizened old man. His beard was long, and he was bathed in light.

'Jesus…' Falin mumbled.

'No, but we are related,' God said, laughing at his own joke.

'Well, I _was_ supposed to come here, wasn't I?'

'Oh yes, of course. I wanted to meet the man who saved the kingdom of good!'

Falin raised an eyebrow at that. 'Interesting…'

'Come off it! You noticed how the people reacted to you as they passed you!'

'Yeah well…why am I here, in any case?' Falin said, wanting to get to the point.

'I want to offer you something. Anything you could dream of.'

Falin thought of his dead family. He wanted to save them.

'Is that really what you want?' said god as if he knew what Falin was thinking.

Falin nodded.

'Then it shall be so. I will give you half an hour. Use it well.'

Hanna swept the dead leaves from the porch of her house. She saw her husband playing with her two daughters, and her son, she knew, was hunting in the nearby woods.

Then she saw the nine riders riding towards their estate.

For some reason she didn't feel scared.

Her husband stood, and ushered the girls inside. He then stood beside his wife.

The first of the riders spoke up. 'Five gold coins for your lady,' he said bluntly.

'No,' Dath replied simply.

The rider, Defter, curled his lip. He raised his bow.

An arrow plunged into his arm and he dropped the bow. A man stood from the tall grass and walked towards them.

'Hello men.'

'Kill him,' Defter simply said.

Falin held up a hand. 'Wait!' he said loudly and forcefully.

He notched an arrow to his bow, and shot Defter in the throat.

'I have nothing to say to you.'

The others looked on in wonder.

'Now, what if I were to say I could tell the future.' He pointed to a rider. 'You! Baethra! Go now! You will become a famous merchant. You will be loved by many.'

He reeled through the names and futures effortlessly. At the end he was silent. Finally he spoke up.

'Now, if you kill these people, an assassin will kill you. That assassin will be the boy who is out hunting in the forest. If you attempt to find him I will kill you.' Falin began to feel weak. His time was running out.

'If you wish to go, go now. If not, I will kill you.' His voice was cold and even.

They turned and moved away. When they were out of eyeshot, he finally collapsed. He didn't realise dying for a second time would be so painful.

'We thank you, stranger,' said Hanna, aiding the stranger into the house.

'I am dying. Please, just leave me here.' Falin lay upon the grass. Hanna thought she recognized him.

'Who's that mum?' the young Falin asked his mother.

'I don't know, but he saved our lives.'

Young Falin picked up the stranger's sword and swung it in graceful circles.

'You know mother? I think this sword was made for me.'

__

{And there we have it. It's finished. I'm thinking of continuing the story from there, tell me if you think it's a good idea.}


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